Glossary of Coin Terms

Coin collectors have a vocabulary they use to describe the coins they collect. Learning the lingo will help you clearly communicate with other coin collectors (numismatists). If I missed a term, please say so in the comments and I’ll add it to the list.

A

Abrasion – marks, scrapes, scuffs on the surface of the coin.

Ag – abbreviation for silver.

Alloy – a mixture of metals.

Alteration – physically changing the coin. This can be for the purposes of fraud, changing the date or mint mark to make it more valuable. Or it can be for the purposes of creating art or simply to string a necklace through the coin.

Authentic – a coin that has been verified by a certification or grading company. A coin that has been authenticated should come with a certificate of authenticity (COA).

Au – abbreviation for gold.

B

Bar – a precious metal in the form of an ingot.

Barber – Dimes, quarters and half dollars from the era of Charles E. Barber, Chief Engraver of the US Mint, are named after him.

Bicentennial – coins minted in 1976 on the 200th anniversary of the United States.

Bit – a unit of measurement equal to 1/8… which is the same as 1 piece of eight (piece of eight… 1 of 8… 1/8… get it?).

Blank – the piece of metal they stamp to make a coin. It’s also called a planchet.

Blemish – a flaw on the surface of the coin.

Broad strike – a coin with an error. When a coin is broadstruck the collar die is missing, causing the coin to be slightly off center, part of the design detail will be missing, and the coin will be sightly distorted.

MS Scale – a coin grading scale that goes from 1-70 with 70 being a perfect coin. Th “MS” stands for “Mint State”.

Numismatics – the study or collecting of currency.

Numismatists – the people who study or collect currency.

O

Obverse – the front (usually a head) side of the coin. This other side is called the Reverse.

Off Center – error coin situation where the coin is not aligned in the die when struck causing an off-center design on the coin. Parts of the design may be missing depending on how off-center the coin was when struck.

Over Strike – error coin where the blank is accidentally struck twice.